Heretofore, an energy amount necessary per day for a pregnant woman has been estimated based on standard basal metabolism values, daily activity intensities and an extra energy amount (350 kcal) for a pregnant woman, presented by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan, as disclosed, for example, in the following Non-Patent Publication 1. Specifically, the standard basal metabolism value corresponding to an age of a specific pregnant woman is multiply by a body weight of the pregnant woman to obtain a basal metabolism of the pregnant woman. Then, the obtained basal metabolism is multiply by the daily activity intensity of the pregnant woman, and 350 kcal is added thereto to determine an energy amount necessary per day for the pregnant woman. An energy amount which has been actually expended (taken) in the day by the pregnant woman is estimated by inquiring about the amount and content of food which has been actually taken by the pregnant woman.
As to an energy amount necessary for a pregnant woman, data about energy amount necessary for tissues increased associated with pregnancy, such as protein and fat increased in a fetus, the placenta and the maternal body, and data about increment in basal metabolism associated with hypermetabolism during pregnancy, are disclosed, for example, in the following Non-Patent Publications 2 and 3.
In order to contribute to maternal healthcare, the applicant promotes research and development on technologies for acquiring various biodata of a pregnant woman. As the result of such researches, it was verified that each of a body weight of a fetus, a weight of amniotic fluid and a weight of placenta can be estimated approximately uniquely based on respective elapsed periods from pregnancy (the number of weeks of pregnancy), and variations in fat mass and body water content of a woman measured in a period from her un-pregnant state to her current pregnant state are equivalent, respectively, to about 58% and about 29% of an increment in body weight of the woman in the period. The applicant filed patent applications for a maternal body-composition measurement apparatus and a maternal healthcare apparatus utilizing and applying these achievements, as disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Publications 1 to 3.
Further, the applicant recently found a method of estimating a basal metabolism value of a pregnant woman using data, such as a maternal fat-free mass and an age of the pregnant woman, as a parameter, in a simple and easy manner, and filed a patent application for a maternal basal-metabolism measurement apparatus, as disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Publication 4.
The maternity biodata measurement apparatuses as disclosed in the Patent Publications 1 to 4 have already been partly put into practical use, based on body-fat and body-composition analyzers utilizing a so-called bioelectrical impedance analysis, as disclosed, for example, the following Patent Publications 5 and 6, and a method and apparatus for calculating basal metabolism based on a fat-free mass and an age of a subject, as disclosed, for example, the following Patent Publications 7 and 8, or in the form of being incorporated thereinto.                [Non-Patent Publication 1] the Society for Research of Health and Nutrition, “Recommended Dietary Allowance, Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese People—6th Revision”, Dai-Ichi Shuppan Publishing Co. Ltd., Sep. 10, 1999, pp. 35 to 39        [Non-Patent Publication 2] M. MOCHIZUKI and M. OHOHASHI, “Pregnancy & Variations in Water/Electrolyte and Nutrients”, Perinatal Medicine, Japan, Tokyoigakusha Co. Ltd., 1992, Vol. 22, Extra No., pp. 36 to 44        
[Non-Patent Publication 3] J. V. G. A. DURNIN, “ENERGY REQUIREMENT OF PREGNANCY: AN INTEGRATION OF THE LONGITUDINAL DATA FROM THE FIVE-COUNTRY STUDY”, THE LANCET, USA, Nov. 14, 1987, pp. 1131 to 1133                [Patent Publication 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-102696        [Patent Publication 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-351053        [Patent Publication 3] Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-218848        [Patent Publication 4] Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-014664        [Patent Publication 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 05-049050        [Patent Publication 6] Japanese Patent No. 2835662        [Patent Publication 7] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-112982        [Patent Publication 8] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-172099        